The American Movie Institute (AFI) has formally introduced the eight filmmakers for the upcoming AFI DWW+ Class of 2026, the place every will undergo the manufacturing cycle of a brief movie. IndieWire shares the category solely right here.
The artists chosen for the AFI DWW+ Class of 2026 are Ragini Bhasin, Reena Dutt, Maja Fernqvist, Melissa Fisher, Ran Jing, Eunice Levis, Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz, and Destinee Stewart.
Every participant went by a rigorous choice course of and was in the end chosen from 20 finalists who met with a remaining choice committee. AFI additionally introduced that Marie Jamora (a graduate of AFI DWW 2020) has been named the AFI DWW+ visitor creative director for the Class of 2026.
“For over 50 years, AFI DWW+ has had a significant affect on the trade,” mentioned Susan Ruskin, dean of the AFI Conservatory and govt vp of the American Movie Institute. “We’re honored that AFI DWW+ Alum and trailblazing director, Marie Jamora, might be guiding the brand new cohort as they create their movies and showcase their distinctive visions. We look ahead to watching the Class of 2026 flourish as administrators and encourage the following era of filmmakers.”
“AFI’s DWW modified my life — the quick movie that I produced in this system grew to become my calling card that launched me into the tv directing profession I aspired to,” mentioned Jamora. “The filmmakers in my class usually are not simply my dearest mates, we proceed to supply one another with help and suggestions in our ongoing initiatives. I’m honored to have the ability to give again to this system that gave me a lot, to design the curriculum organising this superb new cohort for fulfillment. Now greater than ever, we have to elevate voices like theirs to contribute to the movie trade that all of us love and grew up dreaming about.”
Jamora will act as a mentor for the DWW+ contributors all through the manufacturing cycle and trade showcase, which is able to happen in spring 2026.
The AFI DDW+ program debuted in 1974 as a directing workshop for ladies. Because the program’s inception, DWW+ has skilled over 350 filmmakers who give voice to traditionally underrepresented views. Alums embrace Lesli Linka Glatter, Siân Heder, Dime Davis, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Lee Grant, Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Cicely Tyson, Joanne Woodward, Ellen Burstyn, and extra.
Bios of this yr’s contributors are under, with language courtesy of the filmmakers.
Ragini Bhasin
Ragini Bhasin is a South Asian author/director and graduate of Chapman College movie college who focuses on on a regular basis thrillers and socially aware movies advised with a feminist lens. Her shorts have screened at a number of Oscar-qualifying festivals, together with two current shorts opening at Palm Springs ShortFest. Her movies have additionally been featured in The Wrap’s ShortList competition, chosen as Vimeo Employees Decide, and distributed by ARTE Channel, ShortsTV, Argo Channel and PBS. She acquired the Meredith MacRae Memorial Award from WIF, was a BAFTA Newcomer (2021–2024), gained the 2022 Julia S. Gouw Quick Movie Problem hosted by CAPE and Janet Yang Productions, and was a 2023 Movie Unbiased’s Venture Contain Directing fellow.
Reena Dutt
Reena Dutt is devoted to new and reimagined texts that catapult polarizing conversations by surprising tales of the underheard. Her quick movie, FOUND is getting used to begin conversations throughout the transracial adoptee group, and TOO MANY BODIES was supported by NoRAnow.org and Survivors Empowered, advocating for gun reform. As a producer, her movies have been screened at over 80 festivals together with Sundance, Outfest, SF Dance and Frameline. She was a previous producing fellow with SFFilm, TAP and Movie Unbiased. Dutt can also be a theater director working regionally within the USA and her subsequent manufacturing opens in Lengthy Seaside in March.
Maja Fernqvist
Maja Fernqvist is a multi-award-winning artistic director, with a few years of expertise within the promoting trade. Fernqvist focuses on telling tales in clever and visually arresting methods. Her work contains music movies, artwork movies, commercials and quick movies formally chosen by movie festivals resembling LA Quick Fest and Brooklyn Movie Competition. Fernqvist was chosen by Lionsgate to direct a brief movie from the Twilight Saga Universe and chosen as one of many rising administrators for SHOOT New Administrators Showcase. Fernqvist’s work has acquired worldwide recognition from the Cannes Lions Worldwide Competition of Creativity, Clios and British Tv Promoting Awards.
Melissa Fisher
Melissa Fisher is an achieved director, author and multi-hyphenate within the trade with over 12 years of expertise on Academy Award-winning units resembling Damien Chazelle’s LA LA LAND and FIRST MAN, and Emmy Award-winning exhibits like GLOW and THE DROPOUT. A graduate of Chapman College’s Dodge School of Movie, Fisher’s directorial work merges technical ability with poetic imagery to create emotionally evocative drama, tackling social justice themes and highlighting marginalized communities. Fisher’s current quick BUSCANDO ALMA centered on immigration and gender identification, and gained quite a few awards together with the Oscar-Qualifying Jury Award at Atlanta’s Out On Movie Competition.
Ran Jing
Ran Jing is a transnational author and director, acclaimed for her debut characteristic MODEL, which was featured in Selection China, gained a number of awards at Academy Award- and BAFTA-qualifying festivals, and had a theatrical launch in China. Named one in all ISA’s High 25 Writers to Watch, Jing has written options for Ruyi Movies. A former storyboard artist at Blue Sky Studios, she labored on blockbusters resembling SPIES IN DISGUISE, THE PEANUTS MOVIE and the ICE AGE franchise. Her in depth expertise in each Hollywood and China profoundly informs her ardour for crafting nuanced, character-driven tales that discover themes of identification and belonging.
Eunice Levis
Author and director, Eunice Levis, is a first-generation Dominican American from the Bronx, New York. Levis’ work focuses on genre-bending tales that discover know-how, race, gender, historical past and diaspora identification. She was most just lately a 2024 NALIP Media Accelerator fellow, and a Starz #TakeTheLead Author’s Lab Intensive fellow. Levis was beforehand a Stowe Story Lab Fellow and a Netflix/NALIP Ladies of Shade Quick Movie Incubator fellow. Her newest quick, RO & THE STARDUST, a bilingual area fantasy, is presently streaming on Netflix. Levis is a movie adjunct professor and holds an MA from New York College.
Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz
Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz is a author and director whose work explores want, energy dynamics and the feminine gaze. Her tv writing credit embrace Amazon’s CRUEL INTENTIONS and Amazon’s I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. As a director, Martin-Berkowicz’s quick movie SCOTTY’S VAG premiered at SXSW and is now streaming on Vimeo, the place it acquired a Employees Decide. Her earlier quick, IN SYNC, premiered on the Maryland Movie Competition and is streaming on NoBudge. Martin-Berkowicz is a 2024 Sony Footage TV Numerous Administrators fellow and is creating her characteristic directorial debut. She holds a BA from Johns Hopkins College.
Destinee Stewart
Destinee Stewart is a director and author from Dallas, Texas, now primarily based in Los Angeles, who explores identification, resilience and connection. Her most up-to-date movie, THE OTHER PARTNERS, premiered in 2024 on the Oscar-qualifying RiverRun Movie Competition, and her characteristic, WADE IN THE WATER, a psychological horror, has been supported by BendFilm: Basecamp and the Cucalorus Writing Residency. She is creating her proof-of-concept quick movie for her characteristic WADE IN THE WATER. Beforehand, she led worldwide dubbing productions for Netflix, collaborating on world initiatives like LOVE IS BLIND, REPRESENT and IN HIS SHADOW.